Serious Accusations
by Gypsy Love
Summary: Joey's view of the events of season 2 concerning Craig and Albert, angsty Craig season 2 stuff.
1. Chapter 1

I knew that Albert and Craig had moved to the area. It was this past summer. I was aware of it, wondered if maybe Ang could see Craig a little more. I knew she missed him.

It wouldn't be that awkward. I probably wouldn't see Albert all that much, if at all. No reason to. After all, I was a car salesman, he was a surgeon. We didn't exactly run in the same circles.

I did want Craig to be able to see Angela but I was nervous about calling Albert about it. He hated me. Understandably, I supposed. And I guess he intimidated me a little. Julia's ex-husband. Shutter. We had both loved the same woman, fathered children with the same woman, married the same woman. It was, well, awkward.

Angela was starting kindergarten this year. It made me a little sad that Julia was missing this. Missing all of this. She wasn't a baby anymore. School. Growing up.

I thought I'd bring Ang to the cemetery after her first day of school. Part of me was so terrified she'd forget Julia. She had been so young when she died. I picked her up at Emma and Spike's house, waving to Emma, helping Angie into her lightweight jacket. We went to the f lower shop and Angie picked out a bouquet of yellow flowers. I swallowed hard. Julia had loved yellow.

Walking past the other graves to get to Julia's, all the newer names mocking me. Pushing my wife further into the past. Angie walked carefully, holding the flowers.

"Do you think mommy likes it up in Heaven? Craig said-" Angie, her little voice, talking about a Heaven I wasn't so sure about anymore. If it was only that easy. God gives you everything just to take it away and replace it exactly as it was up in Heaven with the blue sky, the clouds, the angels. Julia up there safe and sound. I shook my head. I didn't know. I hoped we survived, in some form. I just didn't know what to tell Ang. But what sort of concerned me was her mention of Craig, as though she had just talked to him.

"Honey, did you see Craig?"

Bit her lip, shook her head, said no. Said, "I promise," that curious phrase that both she and Craig used when they were lying. She'd seen Craig, I was certain.

"Tell me the truth," I said, but I would get no more out of her. She'd said too much already, the look on her face said. Then I heard a noise, looked up and swore I saw Craig kind of behind a grave monument.

"Craig?" I said, and he took off, whoever it was.

"Craig!" I called, pretty sure it was him though I hadn't seen him in quite a while. Two years just about. The running figure, a camera around his neck, black leather jacket. Then he turned, and even though he was older I knew. The eyes. That worried look he shared with Julia. Craig. I'd have to call Albert. The kids should be able to see each other. It was best for Angie, and Craig, too. I couldn't let the hatred between Albert and me stand in the way of what was best for the kids. I'd call him as soon as I got home.

I called while I was preparing supper, Angie coloring in front of the T.V. Answering machine, and I felt some relief. Off the hook for now. So I left my message and hung up.

Watching T.V. at night, the supper dishes drying in the dish drain. Feet up on the coffee table, glass of red wine in my hand. Since Julia had died I'd started drinking a glass or two of wine, just to unwind. God, I missed her. So much. Every day. Time hadn't made much inroads to this grief. It still felt fresh.

The phone rang, jarring my thoughts. I reached over, picked it up, half afraid it would be Albert. After the wine I wasn't quite up for his biting sarcasm, his thinly veiled anger and jealousy.

"Joey Jeremiah!" I sighed in relief. It was Snake.

"Hey, Snake, what's up?"

"Little party tomorrow for Spike, at her house. You up for it?"

"Oh yeah, I'll be there,"

Hung up, smiled a little. Snake and Spike seemed to be getting a little chummy. Good for them. I poured myself a third glass of wine, shooed Angie up to brush her teeth and get in her jammies. Kissed her good night. Flipped through the channels on the T.V., mindless crap about all I could stand and concentrate on. The wine hit me a little hard. Good for them.

Next day and I got Angie up, and since the excitement of the first day was over she was tired, pouty, didn't want to get up. I smiled a little. _Only 12 more years of it, kid. _I supposed I'd get used to this tired pouty morning face. We were starting to fall into a routine. Drove her to school, headed to work, brewed up a strong pot of coffee.

I was thinking of cutting out of work early to head over to Spike's party. That's what I was thinking about as I went through my song and dance with some customers. Then I heard that voice.

"Listen to the man. He knows cars," I looked over, and there was Albert. Black sunglasses, or the type of glasses with the lenses that darken in the sun. He adjusted his jacket, and for a second I saw this almost vulnerable look. Vulnerable wasn't a state of being I usually associated with Albert Manning. I excused myself and went over to him.

"Albert, you got my message," I stated, and hoped that this could be civil. We'd never accomplished civil before.

"Sure did," Whatever vulnerability I had seen had vanished, and the Albert I recalled resurfaced. Powerful. In control. Disdainful. This probably wouldn't go well.

"It's about Craig, just, how is he doing?"

"What's your interest in my son? He's my son,"

I closed my eyes for a split second longer than a blink. So possessive. He had been that way with Julia, and had once said almost the exact same words about her, _what do you want with her? She's my wife, mine!_

"He's also Angela's brother,"

"Half-brother. What's your point?"

Swallowed hard. Looked at my sale walking away. Looked at my cheap plastic sale flags flapping in the slight breeze. Looked at Albert's brand new Lexus, power everything.

It devolved. I told him the kids should be able to see each other, that we should do something. I told him Craig had been seeing Angela, and the look on his face, the tight anger, scared me. He got in his car and drove away while I was still talking.

It was too bad. He didn't want Craig to see Ang and I guess that was that. It wasn't right or fair but he was right about one thing. Craig was his son. And he'd decide this sort of thing, so there you go. I guess it was what I expected.

Headed to Spike's with my big wrapped kite. Driving over in the sunny afternoon, feeling almost okay for once. I only had moments of feeling almost normal, sort of okay. Only minutes at most of not missing Julia like crazy. It was all I got, like drops of rain in a desert.

At Spike's I saw everyone on the porch, eating hot dogs. Saw Spike and Snake teasing and leaning into each other and I smiled indulgently. Saw Emma and her friend Manny, sipping soda through straws, nibbling on the hot dogs.

"Daddy!" Ang, and she ran over to me, pummeled me with a hug. Then, beyond Emma on the other side of the porch I saw Craig.

"Craig?" I said, puzzled and almost a little scared to see him. He must not have gotten the memo yet about his dad not wanting him here at all.

"What are you doing here?" I said, then cringed a bit at how it sounded. If it was up to me I'd be fine, he could hang out and see Ang all he wanted. But it wasn't up to me.

"I invited him," Emma said sharply, narrowing her eyes at me, and it was clear. Butt out, those little brown eyes said. Craig wasn't even really looking at me, and he kept moving nervously. Poor kid. I couldn't imagine having Albert for a father, to tell you the truth.

"It's okay, isn't it?" he said, looking sort of miserable and desperate and jagged. I squinted at him. What was wrong with him? I pulled him aside to talk about it, and he cam with me reluctantly. He'd gotten so much taller since I'd really seen him last.

"You're dad-" I started.

"He's fine with this," he said, cutting me off.

"He knows you're here?" I said, and watched him shift from one foot to the other, watched him not quite look at me. So I told him about seeing Albert and what he said and the look on his face, this dark defeated look made me troubled. But it wasn't really my business. He wasn't my kid. He took off, and I watched him leave with a sinking feeling. There was just nothing I could do.


	2. Chapter 2

I watched Craig walk down the street toward home, feeling a little sad. But there was nothing I could do.

"What'd you do that for, Joey?" Emma said, her face all scrunched up.

"Look, it isn't up to me. His dad doesn't want him seeing me or Ang," Defending myself to a 13 year old. Craig was getting smaller in the distance, and even from here I could see the tense set to his shoulders. Poor kid.

I tried to put it out of my mind. Sang some bad karaoke with Spike and Snake and Yick, drank a few beers, teased Spike about getting older. Sometimes it was funny, I could remember Spike and Snake as kids so well, Junior High, Spike's mile high hair, Snake's tallness sort of exaggerated by how skinny he was back then. Before Angela and Julia, before all this adult stuff. I missed it sometimes.

We left kind of late, and I carried a sleepy Angela to the car. At home I got her in her jammies and put her to bed. Stayed up late and had one glass of wine on top of all my beers and got a little teary eyed thinking of Julia. When would this sorrow end?

Next day and the routine beginning again, Angie was hard to wake up and pouted once I did wake her up. She had cereal and I had coffee and then we were off, and I watched her head up the steps to the school, her back pack on her back.

Slow day at work, and I sat in my office and sipped on cooling coffee, thought about Angie in school, wondered what she was doing. Thought about the sad way Craig had left Spike's party, and how it really wasn't fair to him. But that was Albert, a cross to bear, I supposed. Thought maybe I'd leave early again, pick up Ang and go home.

I drove up to Emma's and Spike's, and I saw Emma doing her homework on the porch, her blond hair hanging in her face. She looked up and I didn't quite pick up on the panic on her face.

"Emma. Where's Angie? With your mom?" Smiling, cheerful, and sometimes Spike would take Angie off Emma's hands.

"Um, no…" And now I did notice the sub-panic, Emma's eyes wide. The nervous licking of her lips.

"Emma, where is she?" And panic in my voice now, and anger.

"She's with Craig, alright!" Emma cracked, never very good under pressure. With Craig? Hadn't I just told her that Albert didn't want Craig seeing Angela?

"What! You let her go off with him?"

"To the park, alright! Joey, he's her brother-"

"And you're just her babysitter! Leave the parenting decisions to me," The anger spilling over. Emma was rather self righteous for a 13 year old. And part of why I was angry was that she was right. Craig did have a right to see her, but his dad said no. So it was out of our hands.

I went to the park fast, feeling very nervous all of a sudden. I didn't know why. Craig was responsible and everything, and he was good with Angela. But I felt nervous all the same. Felt like something wasn't right. I'd just be happier if I knew exactly where Angela was.

I parked next to the park, got out quick and ran, calling both of their names. No answer and I didn't see them and I felt real fear now, my heart trip hammering inside my chest. I needed to see my daughter immediately, cupped my hands and called for her again.


	3. Chapter 3

Panic. It was sour in my mouth. Something was not right, I knew it. Just felt it. Maybe because Angie was so young and I was all she had, I kind of sensed things. I thought of Craig leaving Spike's party so sad, defeated, his shoulders slumped. I thought of Albert saying he didn't want Craig to see Angela. I walked around the park and called for them but no answer

For a second I was at a loss, just stood there turning in a slow circle, hoping to see them out of the corner of my eye. Then I remembered that there was an ice cream stand not too far beyond the park, maybe they went there. I ran to my car and drove there fast.

"Craig! Angie!" I called, getting out of my car. I saw them and felt such a great relief. Angie came over to me, smiling, holding an ice cream cone. I saw a line of the ice cream melting down the side of the cone.

"Daddy!" she said, and the relief at hearing her voice was sharp. I saw Craig beyond her, looking more scared than nervous, looking down, his eyes wide.

"I thought you two were going to the park?" I said to him, and he did a curious thing then. There was absolute misery on his face, I saw it as he looked down at the ground. Then he looked up at me and his expression went blank for a second and then he smiled, seemed for all the world just a carefree kid taking his baby sister out for ice cream.

"Yeah, we did. But Ang got hungry," he explained.

"Well, I'll take her from here," I said, still looking at him, still trying to figure out what was with him.

"Craig, can daddy come, too?" Angie said, her little voice piping up from somewhere below eye level. I was still looking at Craig and when she said that his eyes widened even more and he shook his head at her, the scared and miserable look resurfaced.

"Go where?" I said sharply, and Craig was still giving Angie that pleading look, and I could read that look clearly. 'Please shut up,' he was thinking at her.

"No where," he said, smiling again, and I was almost getting dizzy. He was lying. And I was getting pissed.

"To British Columbia," Angie said, pulling her hand out of mine and running over to Craig. He jerked away from her as she tried to get something from his pocket.

"Craig has a million dollars," she said, trying to get the money out of his pocket, and he told her no frantically, trying to pull away. Under his shirt I saw a wad of money in his pocket.

"You think you can just take her and go somewhere with her?" I said, yelling at him. I was so angry with him.

"No, I don't. It was pretend," he said, trying to cover up, trying to hold onto that cheerfulness. I just looked at him.

"Like that money in your pocket is pretend?" I said, scooping Angie up, and he had nothing to say.

"Leave Angie alone, like your father said!" I yelled. I was pissed. He was actually going to try and take my daughter to British Columbia. What in the hell was he thinking?

"Joey, I can't do that," he said, and now the cheerful veneer had cracked, and all that was left was misery. But at that instant I wasn't concerned with him so much. I wasn't thinking about the cause of that misery or his strange behavior. I was thinking about Angie. Angie's safety and well being. I saw him solely as a threat to her.

"I mean it!" I yelled, furious. And I turned and walked away.

I brought Angie home and we had supper, some stir fried chicken and vegetables that she kind of picked at. It amazed me how kids seemed to eat so little sometimes. She'd pick at every single meal some days. I wasn't thinking about Craig, really. Except to be irritated with him. I was just glad I had Angie home. As she picked at her supper I figured that ice cream had ruined her appetite.

I did up the dishes while Ang played with some dolls and then we both watched a little T.V. I was getting tired. I thought maybe we could do the flashcards. Mathematics. I didn't know. I didn't want to push her but I did want her to have an advantage in school. What would Julia have done? Did she do flashcards with Craig? I shook my head and then felt a little guilty about that connection. Craig was my dead wife's child and I had been angry with him, so angry. I felt her kind of frowning at me.

While we were doing the flashcards and I was trying not to feel so guilty Sean and Emma burst through the door. Emma looked kind of breathless, her eyes bright with a cause. She wanted to save something, I could tell. Sean just looked tired and deeply worried, like an adult would be worried. Sean was weird. He always seemed a little bit too mature, in a way.

"Joey, Craig's run away to B.C. but he's just going to end up on the streets," she said all in one breath. I stared at her, the flashcard still in my hand.

"If he doesn't end up killing himself first," Sean added, and I blinked, turned my head toward him.

"What?" I said, feeling tired, confused.

"Last time I saw Craig," Sean said, looking at me with this utter gravity, "he was playing chicken with a train, for real,"

"Guys, I don't know what you want me to do. I can call his father again-"

"Joey, no. his father is the problem," Emma interrupted me. Before I could think or do anything Sean added, "he, he beats him,"

"Do you know what a serious accusation that is? I can't just go around accusing the guy of that," I said. That wasn't true. It couldn't be true. If Craig had been in serious trouble such as that I would have known. Surely I would have known.


	4. Chapter 4

I closed my eyes. They were wrong. They were just wrong. His dad could be strict, I knew that. And he'd never liked me, of course, so I guess I tended to see his worst side, but he wouldn't beat his own kid. They were wrong. Then Angie piped in.

She described a purple bruise all along Craig's side, a bruise that she had seen _today_, and I looked up at Sean and Emma. Emma had the bright-eyed, 'I told you so, and here's the proof,' look and Sean just looked miserable and weary beyond his years. Shit. It was true. How long had it been going on? When Julia was still alive, even? Had he come over to our house hiding bruises and wishing he could stay and not telling us any of it?

So I grabbed Sean and stuck Emma with watching the kid and figured we'd start at the train tracks. I felt cold, afraid of what we might find. Afraid of what I had neglected to see. But was that really fair? How could I have seen it when he was hiding it?

I was afraid of finding him dead at the train tracks, a cooling corpse. But no one was there. Sean and I called his name and it just echoed back at us, lonely sound.

"Where else do you think he might have gone?" I asked Sean, and he shrugged.

"I don't know. I've only known the guy since Tuesday," he said, and that seemed kind of funny to me. I hadn't seen him in years, not before this week. Once Julia died that was it. Albert wouldn't let Craig come and see us.

So we just drove, hoping we'd see him, passing little knots of street people huddled around fires in trash cans. I didn't see him, I just saw lights from shops and streetlights and car lights, all blinding me. Sean had to do the majority of the looking since I was driving. This was going to end in the police station, and that could take hours. So I called Emma to let her know how it was going.

"There's one more place you should look," she said, and then she told me about the photo album that Albert had probably ripped to shreds. But there were enough photos in it for Emma to make out the ones of the grave, of Angie playing in the snow, of me raising toasts at the wedding. I closed my eyes, feeling myself back at the wedding, and I was so happy, delirious. Had I not noticed my wife's scared and abused son standing in the corner?

Driving into the darkness of the cemetery, Sean all solemn in the front seat next to me. If he wasn't here we were all out of ideas. Maybe he had taken off for British Columbia, and I remembered when we had all gone there, when Ang was just a baby. It had been surprising to have Craig along, and I remember Julia fighting on the phone with Albert to ensure that it happened.

"No, you listen," she had said, her voice cracking like it did when she got so upset and near tears, "he's my son, too, and I'm bringing him with us…I…no you listen…Albert so help me God…"

I could barely listen to it, and it had gone on and on like that but somehow she had convinced him, and the next day Craig had arrived. He had been nine or 10 then, his hair short enough that it wasn't curling. He looked so serious, so somber for a little kid but I thought that was just how he was. Now I wasn't so sure because that had gone away, the further away we got the more relaxed he was. He smiled and laughed and joked on that trip like I'd never seen him do before, and he lost that constant anxiety I'd always thought was just a part of his personality. Now I wondered, had that behavior been the result of abuse that was going on even back then? Five years ago?

From the distance I could see someone at Julia's grave, and I had Sean hang back. This was between me and Craig. I crept closer and saw him tracing the letters of his mother's name with his fingertips. Poor kid. I couldn't imagine it, what it must be like for him. 11 years old and his mother died. I was 30 and my mother was still alive.


End file.
